Empty spaces
by Liola Li
Summary: Set in Seto's childhood A girl's dark secrect binds them together. If it was told......would it tear them apart? Can Seto risk being alone again.....if it means to save his only friend?
1. I'm Seto Seto Tasashi

*~(~(*~(*~(*~(*~[AUTHOR'S NOTE: THIS IS A KINDA SEQUEL TO HIGH PRIEST SETO. IF YOU HAVEN'T READ IT YET....YOU WON'T WANT TO. -_-;;]* ~)*~)*~)*~)*~)*~)  
  
SUMMARY OF CHAPTER: Over the summer, Seto Tasashi had lost his mother while delivering his little brother, Mokuba. The first day of kindergarten wasn't that great either.  
  
  
  
The five-year old waited patiently, sitting on the cold plastic chairs in the lobby. He allowed his legs to swing just a little; he wanted to look like an adult. "Where's father?" he asked himself. He looked to the side at the long narrow hallway. An old woman wearing a blue plastic robe and a balding man with a long white coat was the only people he saw so far going out of them.  
  
He sighed deeply. Glancing from side to side for anything to look at, he saw a side table with a pile of magazines on it. He walked up to them and looked through them. He settled on one that looked interesting called 'Popular Mechanics' and brought it back to his seat.  
  
The nurse at the front desk looked up from the computer and observed the young boy. "Strange," she thought to herself," Why didn't he picked up the Seseame Street Magazine like the others?" She stopped what she was doing and walked over. With hands behind her back, she leaned over.  
  
The boy was engrossed in an article about holographic technologies. The pictures were only of drawings of a huge complex looking machine. "Who would want a machine that big?" he thought to himself." Someday I'll build one that someone could carry around with them..." He giggled at the thought of a group of 'advanced' scientists faces as a 6-year-old boy prove their analysis was wrong.  
  
"Pretty Pictures, aren't they?" said a gentle voice behind him.  
  
He sheepishly turned around to face one of the nurses. His mother had always taught him to be polite. "Yes ma'm, but I like the article much better."  
  
"You can read?" asked the nurse in a surprised tone, looking over the child.  
  
"Yes ma'm."  
  
"Can you read something to me then?" requested the nurse.  
  
He hesitated. He didn't like the attention he gets whenever he started reading out loud. Grown-ups especially give him the weirdest looks. "Okay." he said and settled on an article titled."Human Instincts:Evolution or Not?"  
  
"The humans are one of the only species that actually depends on generosity almost as much as skill. The only other known animal that even comes close to this behavior is the Vampire Bat," started the little boy. He stopped and looked over at the nurse. As always, she looked as if her eyes were going to pop out. She shook her head suddenly." Please continue."  
  
"The reason behind this is unknown but some scientists believe it has something to do with our prehistoric ancestors. 'In ancient times, humans depended heavily on each other to survive from day to day. They often share food and shelter together. They understood that they needed to stick together to be able to survive,' concluded historian, Dr. Michelle. "  
  
Astounded, the nurse listened to child read through the entire article. When he was finished, the nurse asked him his name.  
  
"Seto...Seto Tasashi." Seto replied in an instant.  
  
"You're a very good reader, Seto." she started, causing the boy to blush," Most boys your age wouldn't even start reading yet."  
  
"Thank you."  
  
"Your parents must be very proud of you." She looked around." Where are your parents?"  
  
"They're in one of the rooms. My parents are getting me a brother or sister. " Seto said excitedly. "I hope its a little brother. I wouldn't mind if it's a sister but I hope it's a brother."  
  
Though a child genius, his parents were careful not to give him any sources on where babies came from. It was one of the few things his curiosity hadn't found out about yet. He remembered the ride to the hospital downtown. His mom did allot of breathing and his dad looked pretty haggard.  
  
They took their SUV was driving allot faster then what he was used to. Seto was ordered to stay in the hospital lobby while his parents went into one of the rooms with his mother in a wheelchair. It didn't take much for Seto to figure out where his sibling was arriving in.  
  
"Are you in school yet?" asked the nurse pleasantly.  
  
Seto shook his head. "I'm not old enough yet."  
  
"But you're smart...."  
  
"Nurse?" interrupted a doctor at the front desk. He looked pretty exhausted and had the gloomiest expression on his face. He wore a surgeon's outfit with a mouth cover, which he quickly removed and threw over to the nearest wastebasket.  
  
The nurse said goodbye to Seto and went over. "What's wrong?" she whispered quietly. Seto didn't want to eavesdrop so he went back to reading the magazine. His ears couldn't help but catch bits of the conversation, though.  
  
"Is that Seto Tasashi? "The doctor said pointing at the boy.  
  
The nurse nodded. "Why? Did something go wrong in the delivery?"  
  
The doctor turned to look at the Seto to make sure he wasn't listening and lowered his voice even more. Seto strained to hear more but only the words he heard were heart failure and dramatic blood loss. The nurse gasped a little. The doctor continued.  
  
Seto knew some of those words. Those were really bad words if they're used in a hospital. His shoulders sagged. Is his mom alive? What about the baby? He didn't pay any attention to the rest of the conversation but instead tried to ignore the words he had heard.  
  
He felt a gentle tapping on his shoulders and turned around to see the nurse. She seemed sadder all of the sudden but still kept a hopeful smile on her face. "Do you want to see your family?"  
  
Seto eagerly nodded and got off the seat. Holding her hand, he went into the long, tiled, hallways. The rooms were filled with beeping noises from the heart monitors and the smell of drugs and pills. Seto couldn't imagine how many sick or injured people where in this small hospital. It was scary. He squeezed the nurse's hand tighter.  
  
"Here you go." They had stopped in front of a door with the number 48 on it. Seto watched as the nurse opened the door. The room was completely white. With white curtains, white tiles, white walls, and white bed sheets on the white bed.  
  
"Mom!" he shouted when he saw her on the bed, holding a bundle of blue blankets in her arms. Seto grinned happily and ran to the side of the bed. His mother managed to smile weakly towards him. Her long black hair was a mess and spread all over the pillows. She looked so pale and fragile.  
  
His father walked up behind him, putting his hands on Seto's shoulders. Seto looked up, expecting the usually smile and twinkling eyes, but instead saw a somewhat force grin and red blotchy eyes. "Hi Seto," Mr. Tasashi said in a hoarse voice that was unlike his own.  
  
Seto's smile faded. "Are you alright, mommy?" he asked. Mrs. Tasashi just looked at him but didn't answer. "Do you want to hold your new baby brother?" she said instead.  
  
Seto's face lighted up. "Really? Okay!" He held up his arms. Carefully, his other handed the bundle of blankets to him. With help form his father, Seto held his new baby brother. His brother was so tiny with a small bush of jet- black hair covering the top of his head. The little baby looked so peaceful when it was sleeping, softly breathing through its tiny nose.  
  
"What's his name?" Seto said excitedly. His mother and father looked at each other at first. They hadn't named him yet. "Why don't you name him?" said his mother gently. "What about..Mokuba? I really like that name. I read it somewhere in a book."  
  
His mother smiled. "I think Mokuba is a great name, Seto." She closed her eyes. Seto looked at his mother." She looks so frail," he thought. Mr. Tasashi offered to hold Mokuba for a while. Seto accepted. His arms were getting tired from the weight of the baby.  
  
Mr. Tasashi took Mokuba and sat down on a rocking chair near the foot of the bed. Seto turned his attention back to his mother. "Mommy are you going to be all right?" he whispered.  
  
His mother was crying now. "I'm sorry Seto, I'm not going to try to lie to you. I'm very weak, Seto."  
  
Seto felt his own tears, too. He knew what it meant even though his mother didn't say it straight forward. "Are you going to go home with us?"  
  
Mrs. Tasashi shook her head. "No."  
  
Seto squeezed her hand. She tried to squeeze back but it was weak. "I'll miss you mom," he finally said.  
  
"I'll miss you, too."  
  
"I love you, mommy."  
  
"I love you too, Seto."  
  
Seto looked at his father. He was crying too. The heart monitor's beeping started to slow down. He felt her pulse slowing down and her hand losing its grip on his own.  
  
He started sobbing on the sheets. "Seto?" breathed Mrs. Tasashi one last time. Seto looked up. His mom turned her head to face him and opened her eyes. "Will you take care of Mokuba for me?"  
  
Seto couldn't find the strength to say anything but settled on nodding his head. His mother smiled. "Thank you. I love you all. Really I do." She closed her eyes and her head fell on the pillow. Her hand fell out of Seto's. The monitor stopped beeping.  
  
In less then a minute, doctors and nurses surrounded him. He and his father, with Mokuba, were pushed out the door.  
  
*  
  
Mr. Tasashi knocked on the door of his oldest son's room. "Seto! Wake up! It's your first day of school. Do you want to be late?" Seto groggily sat up and stretched out his arms. It took a while to get used to the bright sun but with only a couple of yawns, he was able to bear it.  
  
He got off his bed and tripped over a pile of books he had read last night. Once he picked himself up again, Seto stumbled over to the bathroom and looked in the mirror. His hair was a mess, all bunched up to the side. Grabbing the nearest comb, he tried to make it lie flat but with no avail.  
  
"Why do I have to go to kindergarten anyway?" he thought while brushing his teeth." I already know how to read." He spitted out the remainder of his toothpaste and splashed his face with water. With one of the freshly dried towels, he matted his face until it was smooth and dry.  
  
Going through the closet, he found a plain navy blue shirt with a white stripe going across the chest. He also picked out a pair of khaki pants and plain white sneakers. After putting these things on, he looked over himself carefully in the mirror. "Not bad," he told himself, turning around. With one last look he grabbed his book bag and ran downstairs to eat breakfast.  
  
"Good mourning, Seto." greeted his father in the kitchen," I cooked some breakfast this mourning. Its on the counter". Mr. Tasashi was wearing his suit as usual and had a flowery apron tied around his waist. Seto could see him trying vainly to make Mokuba eat some baby food.  
  
Seto ran over to the counter and found some bacon and french toast. He suddenly lost his appetite when he saw that it was all burnt black. "I wish mom was here," he thought suddenly, remembering her cooking." Dad doesn't know how to cook at all."  
  
His mom had died only a few months ago, during the summer. So, Seto had to start his school year without her. Seto felt nervous. He didn't want to go to school today. He wasn't quite over Mrs. Tasashi's death, yet.  
  
Seto shook off the thought and took an apple from the centerpiece instead. "Seto?" Mr. Tasashi said in the other room."Could you help me please?"  
  
Seto shook his head when he saw his father trying to put some food into Mokuba's wailing mouth. As soon as Mokuba saw Seto, he gave a toothless grin and started banging his little plastic keys on the high chair. "Thanks," his father said." I don't know why but he seems to like you better."  
  
Seto just shrugged. Mr. Tasashi looked at him." I'm really sorry about not being able to take you to school, Seto. It's just I need to put Mokuba with Ms. Yukiyyo in the day care center across town and deposit some money at the bank this morning."  
  
"Don't worry about it," Seto lied." I don't mind."  
  
Seto grabbed his book bag and went to the door, leaving his dad dealing with the crying baby all alone.  
  
He went across the lawn and jumped over the gates. Looking back, he saw that the flowers in the front yard needed some caring for. "Oh well," he said to himself," I'll try to get to it after school." He leaned on his mailbox as he waited for the oncoming bus.  
  
A couple of minutes later, he heard the rumble of the bus as it ran over the cobblestone street. The bus picked up a couple of kids from a few houses down until it finally reached him.  
  
He quietly stepped up into the tall stairs, using the railings for balance. The bus driver gave him a sort of grunt as a morning greeting to the boy and closed the sliding door behind him.  
  
Seto looked around nervously to find a seat. Most of the kids already were talking excitedly of the first day of school to each other. A few even gave him a glance but turned quickly back to their own conversation. Seto took the first seat that was empty and sat down.  
  
He looked outside the window and ignored all the other children who already made friends. They had already picked up the last student when someone behind him tapped Seto on the shoulder.  
  
A handsome boy with very light blonde hair and green eyes looked back at him. "Hi!" he said," I'm Max Hitome. What's your name?" A bunch of the kids behind him stopped talking and looked at him. "I'm Seto. Seto Tasashi." The boy cocked his head to the side as if to analyze the other. The other kids suddenly crowded around him, too. It was quite obvious that Max was pretty popular.  
  
Suddenly, Max sat down next to him and started talking to him as if they were old friends. Seto mostly just listened as Max talked. For the rest of the ride to school, Max told...bragged....about who he is.  
  
It seems that his father had his own company on running computers. "We have a lot of money." started Max, "My dad bought me three different kinds of bicycles last year for my birthday because he didn't know which one I liked." He also talked about being very athletic and had been swimming in the family's Olympic-size pool since he was three.  
  
"And we have our own three-story mansion and..oh..look."Max's face fell when the bus halted in front of a brick building." We're at school. That was quick. Bye!" With a swish of his book bag, the boy was out the door followed by a group of his worshippers.  
  
Seto waited to be the last one in line and quietly walked out of the bus. "Max was friendly, but was so conceited,"he thought to himself. The huge clock on the top of the entrance rang loudly as it landed on 8:00. Seto sighed and got a little piece of paper out of his pockets. "Ms. Yurri. Room 306."  
  
He stopped a passing teacher and asked her where his classroom was. The teacher looked at the paper and pointed down the hall. "Just go straight down and turn to you first left." she stopped,"Do you know what a left is?"  
  
Seto nodded and showed her his left hand in response. The teacher nodded in approval and continued."Your classroom would be the one with all the flowers on it. You can't miss it."  
  
Seto thanked her politely and went off. The hallways were full of kids trying to find their classrooms and teachers pointing them to the right direction. Seto was pushed around a lot before entering the the left hallway. He walked down the tiled floors until he saw a door with bright colorful flower cut-outs pasted on it.  
  
Seto took a deep breath and went inside. Nineteen pairs of eyes stared at him, including an old woman who was apparently taking role.  
  
The woman, Ms. Yurri, was pretty young. She had red hair tied into a tight knot at the back of her head. Her blues eyes crinkled as she smiled at the Seto. "You must be Seto," she started and walked towards him," Welcome to my classroom. Don't worry about being tardy, it gets really confusing without help."  
  
"Christina?" she said to a small brunette at the end of the room," Can you show him where we put our book bags?" Christina jumped out of her seat and held Seto's hand. "Hi," she said. Her dark brown hair was twisted into two thick braids and her eyes looked small. She reminded him of a mouse.  
  
She showed to the back of the room and pointed to the rows of painted shelves. "All you have to do is pick one." She directed and went back into the classroom. Seto hastily took off his book bag and jammed it into the nearest cubbyhole.  
  
He walked out of the backroom where Ms. Yurri showed him where to sit. The classroom was arranged in rows of old-fashioned wooden desk with a long table in the front for the teacher. He was surprised to see Max there. Seto wasn't surprised, though, that the chairs around him were already full. He chose the last seat in the last row by the windows. It pretty much suited him.  
  
"I hope all of you look forward to an excellent year in Kindergarten," Ms. Yurri beamed," Lets see how much you know already. Don't worry if you can't answer some of these questions. Think of it like a game."  
  
She took out a large paper bag. "Now," she started," I'm going to hold up something and you have to tell me to tell me what shape it is." Seto sighed. "This was going to be great fun," he thought sarcastically.  
  
Ms. Yurri reached into the bag and pulled out a bright red triangle. "Can anyone tell me what this is?" The whole class yelled out "Triangle!" Max being the loudest. "Good! Great job! Now for something a little bit harder."  
  
Next, she pulled out a blue rectangle. "Now you have to tell me the color too." This time, roughly half the class had gotten the correct answer. Max wearing a huge grin on his face for being one of them.  
  
Ms. Yurri put the bag down and replaced it with a stack of plain white paper and a black marker. "You guys did excellent. Lets move on to reading and spelling. For reading, raise your hand and tell me what the word I wrote says. Okay?" The children nodded. With the black marker, she wrote the letters C-A-T on one of the pieces of paper and held it up for the class to see.  
  
Seto pretended not to know. He didn't like the attention. Only about three people know what the word had said. Ms. Yurri smiled as she pointed to Max. "It says Cat!" he started," I know what it says because I'm a genius. My mommy says so."  
  
Seto tried hard to suppress his giggles. He tried to distract himself by reading the "I love to read" garden posters but it made him laugh harder.  
  
Ms. Yurri continued to spell out some words like T-H-E and N-O. After a little while, she moved on to spelling. "I'll split the classroom into two teams. When I call on a person, they have to come up to the board and spell the word I call up. I will give a point to the team who spells it correctly. The team with the most points gets a treat."  
  
She looked over the room and decided to just split the classroom in half. Christina would be the leader of Seto's team and Max would be the leader of the other team.  
  
Ms. Yurri pulled up a chair and grabbed a nearby book. After flipping through the pages, she called on the team's leader to start off the game. The class waited for Ms. Yurri to call out the first word.  
  
"Is" she pronounced.  
  
Max quickly wrote I-S on the board and Christina I-Z. "Max gets it." Ms. Yurri said and the team cheered Max on. Seto's team grumbled.  
  
"Next is Bobby and Shane."  
  
On and on the game went for a hour. Seto got called on two times and had spelled everything correctly in perfect print on the board but wasn't as noticed as Max. Seto's team was losing by 5 points.  
  
After looking at the clock, Ms. Yurri announced a bonus spelling round."There would be three and each one would be worth two points each. Who wants to volunteer?" She looked around the classroom past the jungle of raised arms. Seto slinked down his chair. "Seto." she picked," and Max." Max's team cheered while Seto didn't get a word of encouragement as he passed his team.  
  
They took their position, clutching the chalk tightly in their hands. Ms. Yurri flipped over the book and stopped witha huge grin on her face. "This is a litle bit hard." she warned," Girl."  
  
Max hesitated and stared at Seto as he patiently scrawled Girl. Max gave Seto an angry before writing out Gerl on the blackboard. "Seto gets it." Ms. Yurri said. Seto's team cheered as Max's team booed.  
  
Max gave Seto an ugly look but he ignored it. Ms. Yurri flipped throught the book again and stopped with a smirk on her face. "Fish"  
  
Max quickly wrote Fis on the board and smirked at Seto. Seto smiled pleasantly and wrote Fish on the board. "Seto wins." Max's shoulders sagged. Everybody waited for the final word. If Seto gets this one, their team wins.  
  
Seto sighed and took his position. Max gave Seto a warning glare before taking the chalk. When it was completely silent, the class clown, Charlei, yelled out dinosaur. Ms. Yurri looked at him sharply as the class began laughing. When she turned back, Seto was writing something on the board. Seto didnt' notice that Max wasn't writing. He didn't know the the whole class was looking at him.  
  
When he was finished. He turned around to look at Ms. Yurri. She looked at the blackboard and her eyes nearly popped out of her head. The board read Dinosaur. Perfectly spelled and neatly written."Correct," she mumured.  
  
Seto, noticing his teacher's face, went back to his desk blushing furiously. "That's not fair!"whined one kid from the other team," it wasn't even one of the words you called out so it doesn't count!" Seto sank further down his seat.  
  
Ms. Yurri thought about it. "How about this? Everyone gets a treat for participating." she compromised. Everybody cheered as she took out a grocery bag full of tootsie pops.  
  
Ms. Yurri occupied the rest of the class with free time. While the most the class went over to the toy area with the plastic stove, she kept a close eye on Seto who was alone by the book section.  
  
When it was time for lunch, Ms. Yuri waited for the rest of the class to go to the cafeteria before talking to Seto. "Seto," she said unsure,"How did you learn how to spell Dinosaur?"  
  
Seto just shrugged. "I read it somewhere in a book."  
  
"You know how to read?" she asked amazed."When did you start?"  
  
Seto looked at his feet. "A long time ago. My mom showed me some books and I taught myself how to read."  
  
They were silent for a while."Do you want to be switched out of this class? I think you might find the higher grades more challenging." she suddenly asked.  
  
Seto shook his head."No, its okay. I don't want to." He didn't want to be more diffrent than he already was.  
  
"Are you sure?"  
  
"Yes. Can I go now?" Ms. Yuri nodded and watched as Seto ran out the door.  
  
*At P.E.*  
  
The coach, Mr. Lee was a beefy man with dark messy hair. He had a rough complexsion and looked as if he hadn't shaved in weeks. Though most of his features were hard, his eyes were soft and brown.  
  
"Okay," he boomed after the class had circled around him,"I have a special treat for all of you. Since this is your fist time in my gym, today we'll be playing DODGEBALL!" When he was finished, the whole class let out excited whispers. Seto looked around nervously. He never heard of dodgeball before.  
  
"Settle down kids,"chuckled the coach. He went over to a door to the side of the gym and took out a large ring of keys. After choosing a one, he opened the door and went inside. Seto stood nervously to the side. He watched as the kids started talking again.  
  
Out of nowhere, red bouncy balls came flying out of the closet. Kids ran everywhere trying to catch one of them. There must've been twenty balls before Mr. Lee finally came back out.  
  
The coach directed who would be on each team. One team had to stay on one wall of the gym while the other was on the opposite. The balls were huddled together in the center. Seto was picked to be in the blue team while Max went to the red. Seto followed the groups lead as he stood a little bit far from the others.  
  
When coach had blown the whistle, everything was in complete disaray. Seto first watched what the others were doing before making any moves. Each team ran to the balls and started pounding each other with them. Screams and shrieks quickly filled the gym as they are hit and slump to the side. "So that's it?" Seto thought as he walked carefully forward, "Get a ball and hit someone? No. Some of the kids were dodging it." The game seemed simple enough so Seto moved to the most concentrated part of the game.  
  
Max was doing pretty well. He was telling the truth when he told Seto about his athletic ability. He was apparently dubbed the leader of the group as he shouted orders.  
  
Seto felt a ball roll to his feet and picked it up. As he bended down, he felt a sudden swish over his head. He looked up and saw that Max was eyeing him. Seto dodged a couple more shots as more and more of his teammates fell.  
  
Soon, there was only four other people on his team while Max had at least ten. Seto had been dogding for a long time but now was his chance. He took the offensive. He threw a ball, hitting a boy hard on the head with it.  
  
The other team grouped around him. With a command by Max, they all threw their balls at once towards Seto. Seto moved his body around and had managed to dodged each one perfectly. Finally, his teammates took his lead and threw there balls. Though two of them were out, they had managed to cut down Max's team by five.  
  
Seto was in a complete frenzy. He liked the feeling of dodging the shots and the ball in his hands. After a while, it was down to Max and Seto. They each took shots at each other.  
  
"Showdown!" called the coach. "Showdown?" Seto watched as all the balls were taken up except two. He saw Max going to his side of the gym. Seto followed his lead and went to his.  
  
Then the shrill of a whistle filled the room. Max made a wild dash to the balls. Seto, getting the picture, ran to them too. Though Max had a head start, Seto barely got there at the same time. Max grabbed one of the balls and thrusted it at Seto. Somehow, Seto managed to jump in time and quickly grabbed the other. He pulled back his arm and threw it at Max point-blank.  
  
Seto won the game for the blue team. The blue team cheered while the red team filled the gym with groans and moans. The bell rang for recess.  
  
Seto sat alone on the bench near the side of the school. He had brought along a book from home just in case he gets bored. One of the only things he had of his mother. Except for photographs and clothes, Mrs. Tasashi didn't have much material stuff. She didn't wear jewlery and was quite drawn to things more pratical.  
  
"Who do you think you are?" said an aggitated voice behind him. Max and a couple of his friends were behind him.  
  
"Huh?" he said, standing up. "What are you talking about?"  
  
Max looked angry. "You're such a show-off. Ever since you came here, everything you do is better than me."  
  
"Maybe becaues I am." Seto replied camly. Max's two friends looked at him with their eyes squinted and their fists pounded into the other hand.  
  
Max looked at him then smirked when he saw the book behind him. "What's that?" he snickered.  
  
"Its a book. Maybe you should get one."  
  
Max grabbed the book away from Seto's hands. He flipped the pages around and grinned. "This is what I think about your book!" he said. He took a handful of pages and ripped it.  
  
Seto watched as the pages fell to the dirt and Max ripping more and more of the pages. Seto's anger rose. His mother's book.  
  
With a yell, Seto jumped on Max. Max dropped the book and immediatley fought back. The nearby children stopped playing and ran to the commotion. "Fight! Fight! Fight!"  
  
"Break it up! Break it up! Move it!" A teacher yelled. She seperated Seto and Max. They were still struggling to hit each other. Seto had manage to give Max a black eye. Seto's nose and lip was bleeding.  
  
"Just wait until your parents get here!" the teacher told the two boys as she lead them to the office.  
  
  
  
Seto stood outside his house three days later. He and Max had both gotten three days suspension. His dad had lectured him to no end during those days. Seto didn't even bother arguing back becaues his father wouldn't listen to him anyway. He was also grounded 'forever'.  
  
The bus finally reached Seto. He took a deep breath and and went into the bus. Inside, Max and his goonies were huddled at the back of the bus. Max paid no attention to Seto what-so-ever but a few of his friends gave him a glare as he took his seat.  
  
Seto sighed and sat in an empty bus seat in the middle. He pushed his bookbag to the empty space next to him and looked out the window as the bus started again.  
  
**********************************************************************  
  
This is one of the longest chapters I have EVER written for a fanfic! No, that is not the end of the story. And don't forget to click the pretty purple button.; ) Reviews would be needed to stop my laziness from leaving this story the way it is......*hint hint* 


	2. This is war

Chapter Summary: Seto is now officially labeled a loner and started creating a strong wall around him. Now in first grade, he is more withdrawn then ever. Can a familiar raven-haired girl with green eyes really be able to break through the barrier?  
  
!!!!!!!WARNING!!!!!!CHILD ABUSE!!!!!!!  
  
[For the people who read my other story, High Priest Seto, you know who I'm talking about.^__^]  
  
A little girl woke up at the sound of the front door being opened. She suddenly stood up on her bed and looked at the clock next to her. The glowing red digital clock told her it was 2:45. She hurriedly gathered up a blanket from her bed and went inside her closet. She closed the door quietly and wrapped herself in the blanket to protect her from the oncoming man.  
  
Even inside the small space, she could hear him cursing about the bills. "Oh no," she thought, moving her knees closer towards her chest," Its bill day. It'll be worse." She crouched lower to the floor while moving deeper into the closet shadows.  
  
She began to hear him going further into the house, into the kitchen. Terrified, she listened as she heard a refrigerator open and closed. A few moments later, she heard him open a drawer. Her eyes grew in fear as she realized what he was doing. The drawer was where he kept his loose money. He was using it for the bills. She closed her eyes as she realized how bad it was.  
  
"WHAT THE FUCK!" boomed a drunken voice. There was a few fumbling sounds around the drawer and then a clatter of it being thrown into the wall. The little girl stayed still as the floor shook with strong loud footsteps.  
  
"WHAT THE FUCK HAPPENED TO MY MONEY, YOU STUPID BITCH!?!?!?!!!" he screamed when he threw open the bedroom door. He surveyed the empty bed and grew angrier. Furious, he went straight into the closet and opened the door. A pair of strong hands grasps the girl's ankles. The man pulled the girl out of the closet, away from her little sanctuary.  
  
With a shaking finger, he pointed accusingly at the girl." Where's my fucking money! Tell me or I'll kill you!"  
  
The girl looked at the man, her father. "I didn't take your STUPID MONEY!" she lied.  
  
The man snarled and swung his fists at a nearby vase in attempt to scare the child. The vase lay shattered on the floor. The girl didn't flinch.  
  
"YOU ASSHOLE OF A CHILD. " he screamed at her. Then, lowering his voice, he asked menacingly," I know you took it! Tell me where is it or I'll swing you to the wall."  
  
The girl stared unblinkingly at him. "I don't know what you're talking about."  
  
The man screamed in fury and grabbed the girl's waist. With all his strength, he flung her to the wall. The girl landed, fortunately, landed back first on the wall and had managed to avoid her head and neck area.  
  
She struggled onto her feet and managed to sit up, angering her father even more. He stomped towards her and removed his belt. Before she noticed however, she heard the air as the leather belt was cutting it. She gave a yelp as her father strike the belt on her arm, causing a small bruise to form.  
  
"Stop it!" she screamed," You're hurting me!" He ignored the pleas and continued to thrash the belt on her arms and legs.  
  
After doing this ten more times, he finally succeeded into making the girl cry. "Teach you not to lie to me." he said and walked out the room. The girl waited for the sound of the master bedroom being closed until she finally got up. A sudden stab of pain caused her to fall back down again. Her tears fell silently onto the carpeted floor.  
  
She found what's left of her strength and pulled herself up to closed the bedroom door. Aching all over, she went towards a chest of drawers. Opening the third drawer down, she found what she was looking for: a first aid kit.  
  
Crudely, she tried to bandage up the bruises and cuts from the assault. After she was finished, she places the box under her bed and went to the closet to get her pillow and blankets.  
  
Wrapping the blanket tightly around her, she tried the best she could to ignore the aches of her scars.  
  
"Stupid school." she thought to herself. If it weren't for the supplies she had needed, she wouldn't have to take some of the money out from the drawer. She had told her father, when he wasn't drinking, that she needed to go to the store to buy some materials but he had forgotten. So, she just took some and went to buy them herself. "Stupid beer," she thought. Angry tears rolled down her bruised cheeks.  
  
This all started when she was only 5 years old and started kindergarten. Her parents never got along. They argued over money, dad's drinking habit, and accusing each other of being unfaithful. You can hardly believe they were ever in love.  
  
Until one day, her mother ran away. She just packed up her stuff and ran off, leaving her daughter alone. Her father acted like it was a blessing but drank more and more. Everything always happens the same way. Her father gets drunk and angry about something, takes it out on her, and beats her up. The next morning, he would apologize and act like he actually cares for her. Then, he would buy her something as a bribe to keep her quiet.  
  
She looked around the room at the dozens of dolls and teddy bear. The shattered vase of the floor was an item from an event a week ago.  
  
Gazing out the window, she fell asleep watching the stars and the moon. Something about them always seem to comfort her......  
  
*  
  
The dull yellow bus stopped in front of him. Seto quietly walked up on the bus and looked at the familiar sitting arrangement. People who were smart or quiet sat down near the front. The back was practically reserved for the more popular students, like Max and his goonies.  
  
He smirked when he saw the empty seat he usually sat in. Max had done a great job of telling people he was someone to avoid. Even if the bus was so crowded that the students had to be seated three in a single seat, they never dared to sit with Seto. He didn't mind though, he never worried about looking for a place to sit and loved the peace and quiet.  
  
Seto and Max barely talk to each other anymore. Their kindergarten year was spent giving each other glares or refusing to notice each other's existence. It was the first day of first grade and nothing seemed to change.  
  
Seto sat down and slid his book bag on the empty side. This was his own signal that he doesn't want anyone to sit near him. Whenever a new student asks him to remove the book bag, he ignored them and the person will usually get the idea.  
  
The bus started up again. It moved down the familiar neighborhoods and stops. When the last kid was picked up, though, they didn't head straight to the school. "Hey Driver!" said someone in the front." School's the other way!"  
  
The bus driver turned his head a little to the left and replied," New student." Some people moaned. The bus turned into a small-cozy looking street and shook as it ran over the cobblestone street.  
  
They finally stopped in front of a brick house. A girl about Seto's age walked up the steps. She wore a long-sleeved loose turtleneck with a pair of plain jeans. Her raven-black hair was tied in a ponytail.  
  
"Oh great," Celeste thought as she looked at the seats. Every seat seemed to be taken already by two or three people, except one, which only had a brown haired boy sitting on it. "Excuse me," she said to the boy, pointing at his book bag that blocked the space. Seto didn't move. "Just like the rest," he thought, smirking to himself. "I won't move my book bag and she'd just move right along."  
  
"Excuse me." Celeste said, this time a little bit agitated. Seto still didn't move his book bag. The bus started moving. He waited for the girl to sit down with another person.  
  
"How rude!" she thought. She began to walk down the aisle but stopped herself. "What am I doing?" she thought to herself," I'm not going to let him win." Nudging the book bag towards Seto, she made a small enough space to sit down. It wasn't comfortable, but at least she didn't have a place to sit.  
  
Seto turned his head to look at the girl who just sat next to him. "Who does this girl think she is?" he asked himself. He looked her over. It wasn't unusual for her to be wearing a long-sleeve. It was fall.  
  
He noticed that she had bright green eyes. "She has pretty eyes." he found himself thinking. Surprised at what he just done, he looked out the window again. For some unknown reason, Seto felt something familiar about her.  
  
Celeste observed the boy. He had shaggy brown hair and dark blue eyes. "He would look pretty cute," she thought, blushing," if he smiles." There's something familiar about him, too.  
  
Suddenly, the bus took a sharp curve. Celeste tried to prepare herself, but it was too late. She fell right on the floor in the middle of the aisle. Seto only glanced but turned to look back out the window.  
  
Celeste couldn't believe how cold the boy was. The whole bus started laughing, especially the back. Celeste went crimson and went back next to Seto. She couldn't believe that she was already acting like an idiot before she was even on school campus. Her legs ached. "Great." she thought sarcastically," the fall must've hit one of my bruises."  
  
"That'll teach her to leave me alone," Seto thought.  
  
"I can't believe I thought he was cute!" she thought angrily.  
  
The laughter died down as the bus stopped in front of the school building. Celeste got up and ran out the door. She stopped in front of her new school and looked at all of her new peers. "Hi!" a voice said behind her.  
  
She turned around to see a handsome boy with blond hair and light green eyes. "Hi, I'm Max Hitome." he started. There was a bunch of other kids at the back of him. He must be one of the popular ones. She recognized him as one of the kids who laughed at her on the bus.  
  
"Hi. I'm Celeste Tanaku," she said. There was an answer of greetings.  
  
"I'm sorry about what that other boy did to you." he said." his name is Seto. He's really grumpy and stuck up. Always bragging and showing-off.."  
  
Celeste thought about what Max had said. "He doesn't look that mean...." she started.  
  
Max rolled his eyes to his friends who laughed. "He doesn't look like it but he can be a real grouch. What teacher do you have?"  
  
Celeste took out a piece of paper from her jean pocket. "Umm. Mrs. Kigochui, Room 89."  
  
"Sorry," he said," I don't have class with you. I hope you like our school so far." He said goodbye and waved as the bell rang for school.  
  
Seto had watched the girl talking to Max. "Oh well," he said as he closed the book he was reading." At least she'll be sure to leave me alone now." He walked off and headed to his classroom.  
  
*  
  
Seto sighed as he walked into his first grade classroom. Mrs. Kigochui, his teacher, wanted to seat the class in alphabetical order. The teacher had taped index cards with the children's names on the desk. Seto's was in the last seat in the second row. He sat down and waited for the class to begin. He pulled out a book and ignored the stare that Mrs. Kigochui gave him.  
  
"Its you!"  
  
Seto looked over his book and saw a set of familiar green eyes. An angry looking girl looked at him with a mixture of astonishment and surprise. Not only I'm in his class, I have to sit in front of him!" she thought.  
  
"Do you mind? I'm reading," he said calmly.  
  
"Ms. Tanaku." said Mrs. Kigochui, sternly," Can you please lower your voice?"  
  
"Yes, Mrs. Kigochui," She sat down and turned back to Seto.  
  
"Why were you so mean to me?" she asked, anger still lingering in her eyes.  
  
Seto shrugged. "I didn't do anything to you. You fell by yourself. Its not my fault you were clumsy."  
  
Celeste's jaw fell. She quickly shut it. "You wouldn't move your stupid book bag!" she said, her voice trembling.  
  
Seto slammed his book down. "Well maybe I like my own seat! Maybe I didn't want you to sit with me!" he said, looking Celeste straight into her eye. Then, at the very worst time, a thought crossed his mind: what beautiful green eyes. He suddenly looked away quickly. He was blushing.  
  
Celeste squinted her eyes at Seto. Who does this guy think he is? King of the Bus Seats?!?  
  
"Class? Can I have your attention please?" Mrs Kigochue said to the class. "This is war," she declared to Seto and turned around.  
  
Throughout the class, Seto couldn't concentrate on anything but the faults of a certain girl. "Who does that girl think she is? She's so stupid and rude and ignorant and....". He even thought about pulling her ponytail in front of him. *  
  
When the bell ring to release the students for the afternoon, Celeste gave a smirk to Seto and ran in front of him to the buses. "Wonder what's up with her?" Seto thought, walking slowly to his bus.  
  
He went inside and saw someone in his seat. Celeste gave a smirk and waved to him. Seto felt his mouth open. He stomped towards her. She looked at him and smiled innocently. She had her book bag on the empty space to the side of her.  
  
"Why don't you leave me alone?!? Didn't you hear the rumors about me?!?!!" he asked her.  
  
Celeste smile never flickered. "I told you. This is war. I never give up without a fight."  
  
Seto thought about the answer. He sat down next to her, putting the book bag on her lap. Seeing Celeste surprised face, he smirked mischievously. "I don't give up without a fight either." Celeste fumed. Everybody at the back stared at them as the bus started its usual rounds.  
  
*  
  
Phew! Finally I introduce Celeste. I like this chapter way better than the first one. It's all lot shorter and is sooo cute. ^___^ don't forget to review. Well gotta go. My mom wants me to do chores...= [ 


	3. A break from War

[ blah blah blah] = me talking and you wanting me to shut up.  
  
[Sorry for the longest update EVER but I was really lazy. (It being the last few days of Christmas vacation and all...) And because the lack of reviews for last chapters to inspire me.]  
  
* Mrs. Kigochue was in front of the class, talking about addition. She wrote the numbers on the board and was asking people to answer them. Seto kept to himself and leaned on his arm. His eyes drifted to the person in front of him.  
  
Celeste had her hair down today and was wearing black trousers with a soft green shirt. An unzipped pink jacket hung loosely around her. His eyes flickered as he remembered the bus incidence months ago.  
  
In the morning, Seto would take the seat first. In the afternoon, Celeste would. They would never talk; only move each other's book bag in silence. Sometimes a smirk or a glare would be given but nothing else. Seto even thought about moving to another seat but that would make her the victor of the "war". Besides, he was there first. Celeste, likewise, couldn't bear the idea of giving in to an obnoxious [HARSH..] guy like him.  
  
And so the silent ritual continued.  
  
In the classroom, however, they refused to notice each other's existence, which was really hard since they were right next to each other. If not, Celeste would stick out her foot to trip Seto while he was going to his seat. Seto would either kick her chair in response, just to annoy her.  
  
"Seto?" said Mrs. Kigochue sharply, bringing the little boy out of his thoughts." Can you answer number 5 on the board?" Seto lazily looked at the board, with his head still leaning on his arm, and answered.  
  
Mrs. Kigochue was a fair but extremely stern teacher. She was also one who over- analyzes a lot of things. [Who doesn't have one of those teachers?] Seto was an A student but never seemed to pay any attention to her. This annoyed her very much. She sighed. "Correct," she said and moved on to the next problem.  
  
After the math lesson, she went to her desk and picked up a clipboard. "Class? May I have your attention please?" she started," We will begin a new project today. You and a partner will have to do a presentation on an animal. Requirements are a 3-page report on the animal, a visual aide, and a presentation in front of the class. Any question?"  
  
A girl near the front raised her hand. "What's a visual aide?"  
  
"A visual aide is something that helps show the audience what you're talking about. In this case, it can be a drawing, poster, or sculpture of the animal. But you can make something else if you want, as long as it had something to do with your animal. Any more questions?"  
  
"Can we chose our partners?" asked a boy.  
  
"No, you won't. "  
  
The class moaned.  
  
"I will pick instead. Remember, everything would be due next Friday." She began to pass out the sheet of requirements to her students. When she was finished, she calmly sat on a chair and read the teams.  
  
"Brian and Shane."  
  
The two boys gave each other high fives. "Great," thought Seto," I don't have to be partners with either of those two."  
  
"Gwen and Shirley." Both gave a squeal of delight and beamed at each other. They were best friends.  
  
"Seto and...." Mrs. Kigochue looked at her clipboard and smirked. Seto didn't mind doing a project with a partner. He could just do the project all by himself. As long as it wasn't...  
  
"Celeste." finished Mrs. Kigochue.  
  
Seto felt his jaw drop. "No! Anybody but her!" he thought. Celeste seemed to be thinking the same thing. She was as still as a statue.  
  
Seto thought desperately for a way out. The only thing he could think of was to ask Mrs. Kigochue after class. Some of the students around them stared. It wasn't exactly a secret that Celeste and Seto both resented each other.  
  
After Mrs. Kigochue read the teams, they started reading "My Lost Dog." Seto didn't' really pay attention as Mrs. Kigochue read the book. He was too busy trying to find a good excuse to get out of the project.  
  
The bell finally rang for recess as his other classmates ran to the door. Seto didn't' notice that Celeste was also planted in her seat. She stood up and went to Mrs. Kigochue with Seto right behind her.  
  
Mrs. Kigochue had seemed to expect this. "Yes? Is there a problem?" she asked pleasantly to the two.  
  
"Mrs. Kigochue, I don't want to be his partner," said Celeste quickly.  
  
"I don't want to be her partner, either." Seto said.  
  
"Why don't you want to be partners?" smiled Mrs. Kigochue. They gave each other quick glances before continuing.  
  
"I don't like him!" huffed Celeste. "He's mean to me."  
  
"I wasn't mean to her! She was annoying me and wouldn't leave me alone. I don't like her, too!"  
  
Mrs. Kigochue shook her head." It doesn't matter if you two like each other or not. I can't change the teams around so you just have to get along until the project is over. You better go play or recess will be all over."  
  
Mrs. Kigochue walked outside, leaving the two children dragging their feet behind her.  
  
When Mrs. Kigochue was out of sight, Celeste stopped. "What now?" he thought, slowing down to face her.  
  
Celeste took a deep breath. "Seto, I don't like you and you don't like me. But we still have to do the project together."  
  
Seto looked at her. "So?"  
  
"I want to stop fighting for a little while. When the project's over, we can start hating each other again." She waited for a response. Seto looked dumbfounded. Celeste's temper returned," If we don't, we won't be able to do the project so lets just get it over with. Okay? " She stuck out her hand.  
  
Seto couldn't believe what he heard. She was right and it wasn't even annoying him. She actually sounded mature and reasonable. He reached out and shook her hand. "You're right." he muttered." but I still don't like you."  
  
"I don't like you either." she said. For some strange reason, she smiled. Not a smirk. Not a grin. A true warm smile.  
  
Seto felt his cheeks growing hot and gave a quick friendly smile back. Without a warning, he turned around and ran outside to play.  
  
*  
  
"Which animal should we do?" Celeste whispered to Seto. It was the next day. Mrs. Kigochue had instructed the class to move their desk around in two, one facing the other.  
  
"I don't know. Maybe the shark? The lion?" Seto offered. Celeste shook her head. "Brian and Shane had dibs on the sharks and the about 3 other teams already have lions. I want ours to be different...I mean..iIf you want to."  
  
Seto agreed. "Well, what animal do you want?" He had expected a rabbit or butterfly for an answer.  
  
Celeste's eyes sparkled. "What about the Komodo Dragon?"  
  
Seto couldn't believe what he just heard. "What?"  
  
Celeste smiled." Why not? Its my favorite animal."[My favorite animal 2^__^]  
  
"Girls are supposed to like cute things, though. Like rabbits and kittens." Seto said. [A first-grade boy genius is still a first-grade boy.-_-;]  
  
Celeste stopped smiling. " I don't care. Who says girls can only like cute things? Girls can like whatever they want!" she said, straining herself from screaming at the boy.  
  
"Fine. Geesh. Don't get a heart attack." Seto muttered. [OoOoO Seto scared?]  
  
"What?!?" [vein showing]  
  
Seto wisely stayed silent this time.  
  
Celeste relaxed and continued." Komodo Dragons are really cool. I read all about them and they're really interesting. Plus they have the word dragon in their name and I love dragons."  
  
Seto had to agree. He thought Komodo Dragons were interesting too. "Fine. Let's do the Komodo Dragon."  
  
"Class? Time to work on our Math. Put everything up in the correct order. A clean room is a happy room. I really despise that saying. I just need my room. I don't care how it feels....*grumbles about chores*]"  
  
Seto and Celeste looked at each other. They had half an hour to work on their project and all they did was pick an animal. "Do you want to do the project..oOutside of school?" Seto asked.  
  
"We have to. We won't have time to finish if we do it all in the classroom." sighed Celeste." Can we do it in your house? This afternoon?"  
  
Seto thought about it. It was for a project. Nothing else. "Sure...I guess. My dad won't mind."  
  
"Great!" said Celeste. "My parents won't mind. They won't be home until night time."  
  
"How are you going to get to my house though?"  
  
"I can just walk there. I need to get home first so I can change."  
  
"Okay."  
  
They smiled at each other and began to clean up their desks.  
  
*  
  
[Short chapter...I know. I was thinking about combining four and three but it'll be too long. hope I get more reviews this time.*wink wink* HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!] 


	4. Painfully silent

[*CLEARS THROAT* This is the chapter you have all been wating for:Celeste finally reveals the secrect!]  
  
DRUM ROLL  
  
* Seto looked around the room. He had just finished cleaning up the mess on the floor and packing it into the closet. "Wow." he thought," This room looks so empty when its actually clean." [Yeah, like mine.]  
  
His father walked in. "Seto, I know you have a little friend coming over but can you please take care of Mokuba for me." he said quickly," I have to go back to the office for a little while. I'll be back soon. I'm sure your friend won't mind."  
  
"But dad...." Seto started," Can't you bring him with you or something?"  
  
His father looked at him." You know I can't. I'm really sorry about this, Seto."  
  
"Fine," he grumbled.  
  
"Great. Call me if there's an emergency. Bye." Mr. Tasashi said. He went to get the keys and his jacket. Seto followed him and locked the door tightly after him.  
  
He went to the window to watch Mr. Tasashi drive down the street. Seto sighed and went to check on his brother. Mokuba was playing on the floor with a few toy cars surrounding him.  
  
"Hey kid," said Seto playfully, sitting near the toddler. Mokuba grinned and handed Seto a car. Seto took it and rolled it towards him. Seto watched as he caught it and began biting the hood.  
  
The doorbell rang. Seto reached the door by the third ring. "Who is it?"  
  
"Who do you think?" said a sarcastic voice. Seto rolled his eyes and opened the door. "Hey Celeste."  
  
Celeste still wore her jacket. She wore a pair of faded jeans and an oversized T-shirt that said 'Girl Power' across the chest in bright blue printing. She brought her book bag and held a book in one of her arms.  
  
"Are your parents home?" she asked him, noticing the silence of the house. "No." he answered," My dad left for work a little while ago and my mom...she died about 2 years ago."  
  
Celeste looked at him suddenly."Oh.I'm really sorry. I didn't know. I the..."  
  
"Its okay," he stated, ignoring the full sympathy of her voice," It was a long time ago."  
  
She went to the living room. Seto followed her. Celeste noticed Mokuba on the floor and quickly kneeled down to watch the toddler." Is he your brother?" she asked him. She set her book bag and the book beside her. "What's his name?"  
  
"Yeah, His name's Mokuba." Seto went to his room to get his stuff for the project. He heard Celeste cooing Mokuba's name and imitating baby sounds.  
  
He opened the closet and managed to avoid the avalanche of junk that spilled out. He sifted through the stuff and found his book bag and a pack of art supplies. He heard crying and ran out to see what happened.  
  
Celeste sat on the floor with Mokuba. He had started to cry in front of the stranger and Celeste tried desperately to make him stop. She tried to pick him up but the baby thrashed around, making it hard to keep him still long enough.  
  
"Make him stop!" Celeste said when she saw Seto.  
  
Seto smirked." Why?"  
  
Celeste narrowed her eyes at him." He's YOUR brother!"  
  
"Fine." he said, still smiling. He sat next to Mokuba. Mokuba stopped crying instantly and gurgled. He raised his arms and allowed Seto to pick him up. Celeste had her mouth opened slightly in a sign of surprise.  
  
"How come he likes you?" she sputtered.  
  
"Maybe because I'm nicer than you?" answered Seto as he put Mokuba down and handed him a ball. He waited for Celeste's insult.  
  
Instead, Celeste just gave him a glare and turned to her book bag. "I brought a book I had about the Komodo Dragon. It has a lot of information in it and the pictures are really great." She handed him the book.  
  
He flipped through the pages. It seemed to be a good resource. "What are we going to do about the visual aide part?"  
  
"I brought some drawing paper. We can do a drawing and color it for that part."  
  
Seto shook his head." It wouldn't work. I can't draw."  
  
Celeste rolled her eyes at Seto. "In case you haven't noticed, you're not the only one who's doing this project."  
  
"Does this mean you want to do it? Can you draw?"  
  
"Have you seen me in Art class? Just give me paper and pencil and I can draw anything!" Celeste beamed. It was true. Seto had seen the entire class peering over her shoulder and the teacher complimenting her all the time.  
  
"Fine. How about I do the report and you do the visual aide?" Seto compromised.  
  
Celeste didn't answer but was already digging into her book bag. "Do you have any crayons?colored pencils?" she said, not looking up. He pointed to the counter where he left his book bag and art supplies.  
  
Mokuba didn't like to be ignored. He dropped the ball Seto had given him and started to cry. Seto walked over to comfort him but Celeste took something out and gave it to him.  
  
It was small and made of plastic with a wide screen. There were buttons arranged on the bottom. "What is it?" Seto asked. "Its one of those old fashioned games." said Celeste. She turned it on and the screen came alive with flashing pictures of spaceships.  
  
Mokuba reached out for the machine, wriggling his fingers. "He can have it. He'd probably be better playing at it then me. I don't really like it anyway. "  
  
"Why do you carry it in your book bag then?"  
  
Celeste shrugged. "I just play with it when I'm really bored."  
  
"So you think I'm boring?"  
  
Celeste smiled." Believe me Seto; I can describe you in a lot of words. But boring is not one of them. " Seto stared at her. She suddenly blushed and walked away quickly. Picking up a pencil, she bended down and started drawing. Realizing Seto still staring at her, she turned around. "Well? Aren't you going to start the report or not?!?"  
  
Seto just shook his head. Mokuba was busy poking at the game Celeste had given him. He didn't know how to play it but the sounds were a curiosity to him.  
  
Celeste and Seto worked in silence (except for the game) for half an hour. "Hey Seto." whispered Celeste from across the room.  
  
Seto turned around and saw Celeste leaning over Mokuba. He was asleep. Celeste turned off the noisy machine next to him. Seto sighed and went over. "Shhhhh." He said to Celeste when he reached them. She watched him as he picked up the toddler, and then drops him because of the weight.  
  
Celeste pulled a nearby blanket from off the couch. "Here, I get this side and you get the other." Seto looked at her. "Don't worry," she assured him," I won't drop him."  
  
She laid the blanket next to Mokuba. Seto managed to carry Mokuba, laying him on top of the blanket. "One, Two, Three." Celeste said. Clutching the corners of the blanket tightly, the lifted up the blanket with the baby on it. Seto directed them into a nearby room and gently laid Mokuba on the bed. She watched as Seto pulled a thick blanket over the tiny body. Together, they silently closed the door behind him.  
  
When they were back into the living room, Celeste dropped onto the couch. "I'm so glad I'm an only child." she mumbled into one of the cushions. Seto looked amused."Its not so bad."  
  
Celeste faced him. "Are you kidding? I would go crazy by now. How do you do it?" Seto shrugged and sat down next to her.  
  
"Why are you still wearing your jacket? Its not that cold." he noticed. Celeste suddenly sat up and clutched her jacket tighter. "I get cold easily." she responded in an icy tone. "We should get back to our project." she said and went to the drawing on the coffee table.  
  
Half an hour passed as a silent atmosphere clouded the room. "Ow!" Seto turned around and saw Celeste holding up her finger. He rushed over to her and saw blood coming out from a small opening. "Paper cut."she said angrily. [Don't you hate getting one of those?]  
  
Seto knew what to do. He returned from the kitchen with some tissues and started dabbing at the blood. "Go to the bathroom to clean it." he said. "What for?" she asked him curiously."Its just a little cut."  
  
"I've read that you have to wash the cut so it won't be infected." Seto said. Celeste opened her mouth to retaliate but, instead, allowed him to direct her to the bathroom.  
  
"I'll get the band-aids." offered Seto and went outside. Celeste struggled to wash the blood off but her jacket sleeve would get wet. She didn't want anyone to see her arms but she didn't want her jacket to get wet either. After closing the door and locking it, she took off her jacket and turned on the faucet.  
  
Seto looked around the cabinet. "Where does dad keep them?" he asked himself. He moved the pencils and other junk over, revealing a familiar white box of band-aides.  
  
He went to the bathroom and found it closed. Not thinking, he turned the doorknob and opened the door.  
  
Seto's jaw dropped when he saw the bruises on her arms. Celeste was leaning over the sink when she realized Seto standing in the doorway. "Seto!" Celeste said in a shocked tone and quickly turned off the faucet. She grabbed her jacket and desperatly forced the frabic to cover her arms but Seto held onto her wrist.  
  
"How did you get all of those bruises?"  
  
"They're nothing! I just fall down alot. I'm really clumsy you kno- "  
  
"Celeste,"interrupted Seto,"these didn't come from falling down alot. They look like....like..."  
  
Celeste tried to change the subject."How did you get in here anyway? I was going to use the bathroom! I locked the door."  
  
"The lock was broken a long time ago." Seto responded. "Celeste. Who did this to you?" He suddenly saw tears coming form her eyes. She slumbed down near the toilet.  
  
"Do you promise not to tell?" She whispered, looking straight into his eyes. "If I tell you, do you promise never ever to tell anyone?"  
  
"But Celeste-"  
  
"Promise? I won't tell you unless you promise."  
  
Seto didn't know what to do. He didn't have any choice. Slowly, he nodded his head."I promise."  
  
Celeste took a deep breath. "My dad." she whispered.  
  
"What?" Seto said.  
  
"It was my dad. He hits me sometimes, but only when he drinks." she said in a rush,"the rest of the time, he's pretty okay." Her voice was cracking.  
  
Seto slumped down next to her."Does your mom know?"  
  
Celeste shook her head."I don't know where she is. She ran away about a year ago." Tears continue to leave a trail on her cheeks.  
  
Seto didn't know what to say. "Isn't your dad a police officer, though?"  
  
She force a laugh."That's just it. He expects everybody to do everything he says. He's used to it." She looked at Seto. "And you know how I don't like to be bossed around...."  
  
Seto comforted her by placing his hand on one of her arms. "You have to tell someone-"  
  
She slowly shook her head. "My dad isn't that bad. He only hits me when hes drunk and I get in his way."  
  
"But-"  
  
"Seto," she started,"You promised not to tell anyone. I can take care of myself."  
  
Their heads shot up. They heard sound of a car. "Thats my dad!" said Seto. Celeste wiped her tears and put on her jacket. Seto threw the box of band- aides into the tub and followed Celeste into the living room.  
  
Mr. Tasashi opened the door and gave her a smile. "Hi, I'm Seto's father." Celeste smiled shyly. "I'm Celeste." She picked up her bookbag. "Excuse me, Mr. Tasashi, But I have to go home now."  
  
Mr. Tasashi looked surprised at the sudden retreat but allowed her to pass. He turned to Seto."You didn't tell me your partner was a girl. Did you guys do anything?" Celeste stopped at the door and turned to look at him. Seto looked at Celeste then his father. "Nope. All we did was work on our project." Celeste gave him a grateful smile and walked out the door.  
  
"Where's Mokuba?" asked Mr. Tasashi.  
  
"He's in his bedroom, sleeping." answered Seto. He watched as Mr. Tasashi went towards the hallway to check up on the baby.  
  
Seto started to clean up the mess around the living room. When he reached the coffee table, he stopped at Celeste's drawing. The picture of the Komodo Dragon was only halfway through but it looked great so far.  
  
Seto bended down to take a closer look. He then noticed the tiniest dot of red at the side of the paper, from the paper cut.  
  
*  
  
(Will Seto tell anyone about the secrect? Or keep his promise to Celeste? Read the next chapter to find out! ^___^) 


	5. Traitor

Seto held Mokuba's hand tightly as they walked in the park that was near their neighborhood. Mokuba was now three years old and had just learned to walk. Now eager to learn more, he moved his legs faster and tugging at his big brother's hand to go faster. They finally stopped in front of a couple of crudely made swings. Mokuba excitedly went to grab one of them.  
  
This section of the park was hidden deep in the corner of the area. Giant Oaks cluttered in every direction, some leaning over the weight of a few trunks and limbs. Seto felt the chilly fall wind as it swept gently across his face. Fall leaves decorated the floor beneath his feet.  
  
"Push, Push!"  
  
A little cry brought Seto back into reality. Mokuba sat on the swing and needed help to move because his short legs couldn't touch the floor. "I'm coming, I'm coming," he mumbled, striding over to Mokuba. "Hold on tight." warned Seto. Mokuba gripped tighter on the ropes.  
  
With one motion, the little Tasashi went threw the air and soon expressed his wishes to go faster. Higher. But Seto maintained a steady pace, only allowing his little brother to pick up height after each few pushes.  
  
"Hey guys!" yelled a voice to the side of him. Seto stopped Mokuba, though he wasn't too happy with the decision. "No!" pouted the three year old," Seto! I want to swing some more."  
  
Celeste ran towards them, her hair flying over her face as the wind flew by. Mokuba was still trying to get Seto's full attention on the swing issue. "Hey Celeste." greeted Seto. Mokuba finally quieted down but crossed his arms across his chest and refused to look at her.  
  
She raised an eyebrow. Getting something from her jacket pocket, she held out three bars of chocolate bars. Ignoring Mokuba, she turned to Seto. "Do you want any chocolate, Seto?" she asked curtly. Catching on, he responded," Yes, Thank you." Celeste handed him one of the bars.  
  
Mokuba looked at the two leftover bars in Celeste's hand. Celeste smiled kindly." Do you want one Mokuba?" He eagerly nodded. Smirking, she gave it to him. Mokuba thanked her in response, with a smile on his face.  
  
"I knew it'll come in handy," she whispered to Seto as they watched Mokuba tear off the silver wrapper.  
  
They went over to the bridged to finish their chocolate. Though the bridge was old, it was still sturdy enough to support the children. They sat down in the middle of the bridge with Mokuba between them.  
  
It was a beautiful day. The sky was crystal clear with streaks of white clouds dotting the open space. A few chilly breezes would make a couple of leaves fly across them and land on the little stream underneath.  
  
After Seto was finished, he positioned his hand to throw away the wrapper. Celeste grabbed his hand before he could. "What is it this time?" Seto asked. "Throw it away in there!" responded Celeste; she pointed to a trashcan near them.  
  
Seto sighed. He rolled his eyes, making Celeste even madder. Mokuba looked innocently between them, biting off a large chunk of chocolate.  
  
Seto wasn't even sure how this weird friendship happened. After he had found out about her secret, she had given him her respect for keeping the promise not to tell. It was like a silent peace treaty. They both knew that without even communicating. Mokuba had started to accept Celeste as an older sister. For the last two years, they were each other's best friends.  
  
But there was a downside to this relationship. Seto tried countless times to convince her to tell someone about her dad, but she refused each time. They would get into an argument and act like nothing had happened the next day. Her mood changes as often as the days of the weeks. She was completely unpredictable, like a tornado.  
  
Good thing he was equally stubborn. "Don't be so bossy about it!" he sneered back. Celeste glared at him. "I'm not bossy! I'm just telling you what you are going to do!" she stopped abruptly, realizing what just came out of her mouth. Seto started to smile and broke out laughing. She started to smile, too.  
  
"Fine. I am bossy. I just worry about the environment. Didn't you listen to Mrs. Wyllie?" She was referring to their 4th grade teacher. They had just started to study the environment in science.  
  
"Fine," said Seto, still chuckling. He tucked the wrapper into his pocket, too lazy to put it in the trash.  
  
Mokuba, finally finished with his chocolate bar, threw the silver wrapper. It landed right in front of Celeste. Seto looked at Celeste, expecting her to lecture Mokuba. Instead, she calmly picked it up and put it in her pocket.  
  
"Why didn't you pick on him?" asked Seto.  
  
Before she could answer, Mokuba answered," Cause I'm special!" Celeste and Seto laughed.  
  
ONE WEEK LATER  
  
BOOOOM! Seto woke up. The thunderstorm outside was deafening. Raindrops pounded on the roof above him. Seto cursed under his breath as he threw a pillow over his head. He hated thunderstorms, especially at night. The rumble or thunder or bolts of lightning didn't scare him. He had learned a long time ago what made storms happen. Once you know the facts, you're usually not that afraid of it.  
  
What annoyed him the most was that he was a very light sleeper. The noises would wake him up and it could take a couple of hours for him to fall back to sleep again.  
  
Seto sighed and waited for the storm to stop. It was no use fighting the forces of nature. The thunder and rain drowned out most of the night sounds. He couldn't hear Mokuba crying. "Just like Mokuba," he thought," I wish I could sleep like that."  
  
He closed his eyes to help him go to sleep. Breathing deeply, he used the patter of the rain to help him go to sleep. In a way, it was working. The steady rhythm of each drop sounded like a well-organized line of drums.  
  
Something seemed out of place, though. Seto frowned when he realized the beat was intervened. He sat up to see what had happened. Maybe the storm dying down.  
  
He gasped when he realized someone was gently tapping on his window. Opening his mouth, he was ready to scream at the top of his lungs. Then, a single bolt of lightning revealed a face, with a set of familiar green eyes.  
  
Seto stopped himself just in time. Squinting his eyes, he realized who it was at his window. Moving quickly, he reached the window and opened it. The cold rain and harsh winds greeted him, filling the room.  
  
Celeste quickly went inside. Seto shut the window once she was in. She wore a heavy jacket that reached to her knees. Her hair was matted and her clothes dripping with rainwater.  
  
"Celeste?" he muttered, afraid to wake up his father," What are you doing here?"  
  
She had her back turned to him. Turning around, he was surprised to see that she was crying. Seto knew something was terribly wrong. This was only the second time he had ever seen her cry. The first time was when....  
  
Before he knew it, he was right in front of the girl. Looking straight into her blotchy red eyes, he asked," What happened?"  
  
Celeste looked up at his. She chose not to say anything but removed her jacket. "Oh No." Seto whispered.  
  
Her right arm was a long jagged cut that ran the length of at least 3 inches. Though it wasn't very deep, blood covered the wraps of bandages.  
  
"I-I-I need your help." she stampeded. "I don't know w-w-what to do."  
  
"How did this happen?" asked Seto, taking the arm delicately in his hand. He turned around and grabbed the nearest t-shirt to stop the bleeding.  
  
"My d-d-dad," she started, "H-h-he drank too much. He threw...something... at me. I ran into my room and tried to f-f-fix it the b-b-best I could. Then he tried to break d-d-down my door so I ran out the window."  
  
For the first time in his life, Seto felt scared. He carefully unwrapped the blood-soaked bandage and flinched at the sight of the cut. The skin around it was purple. Celeste was definitely in pain. She had run in the storm to ask for his help. He went out for a little bit and returned with the family's first aide kit.  
  
Celeste watched as he expertly wrapped clean bandages over the cut. By the time he was finished, Celeste had managed to control the stuttering. "Thanks." she said in a hoarse voice.  
  
"Seto? Can I stay here for tonight?" she asked weakly," I promise I'll leave before your dad wakes up."  
  
Seto looked at her. "Celeste, you have to tell-"  
  
She shook her head." No! Seto, this isn't that bad. All I came here for is for some more bandages. " Seto still looked doubtful.  
  
Celeste looked down at her feet. "I know it's really all of the sudden. But I can't go back there until my dad relax a little bit."  
  
Seto looked at the girl next to him. He didn't want to make her go back either. It was too dangerous..too scary to think about. In fact, he didn't want her to go back ever again. His eyes seem to flicker. A sign that he was thinking really hard about something.  
  
After a minute, he turned to her." Yeah. Okay." he said brightly. "Wait here, I'll get you some towels."  
  
Celeste smiled and nodded. "Don't worry. I don't snore." Seto forced a laugh. He got up and went out the door. Going to the kitchen, he located the phone.  
  
Seto hesitated for a minute before dialing 9-1-1.  
  
*  
  
Seto returned with an armful of towels 5 minutes. Later. Celeste had already found the comb and was now trying to pick out the tangles in the matted hair.  
  
"What took you so long?" she asked playfully, taking a towel from the stack.  
  
Seto just shrugged. "I forgot where we kept them." He couldn't believe that Celeste could act like this. To act perfectly normal when she was fully aware of what happened less then an hour ago. He sat on the bed and watched as Celeste dried herself with a towel.  
  
Silently, he looked at her for the longest time. Trying the best he could to push the knowledge that it could be the last time he'll probably ever see her.  
  
Celeste found the answer strange. "You forgot where the towels were? No offense, but you have a remarkable lack of hygiene skills."  
  
Seto laughed. He watched as her eyes began to sparkle again. Celeste surveyed the room. Still holding the brush, she began to detangle her hair again." I'm serious, Seto. Your room is really-"  
  
She stopped abruptly. "What was that?" she asked sharply. "I don't hear anything," he said quickly.  
  
"You don't hear anything? It sounds like sirens." She went to look out the window. The comb dropped to the floor when she saw the police cars stopping in front of Seto's house.  
  
Celeste's heart dropped. "Seto..Why are the police here?" she said uncertainly, turning to the boy for answers.  
  
Seto turned away from her. Her face twisted in surprise as it began to dawn on her. "You didn't! No! Seto you...you... PROMISED!" she yelled at him.  
  
The bedroom door flew open. Mr. Tasashi was holding Mokuba's hand. "Seto? What is go-" he stopped when he saw Celeste there. Mokuba's eyes grew as he ran to Celeste, smiling at the presence of his favorite playmate. He stopped when he saw the unfamiliar anger in Celeste's eyes.  
  
Seto stood calmly off the bed and went towards Mokuba. Mr. Tasashi still confused over the night visitor. The doorbell rang. "Police!"  
  
Celeste had a frightened look on her face as Mr. Tasashi went to get the door. "No!" she yelled and had begun to run to the back door. Seto followed after her. He was able to grab her as she reached for the doorknob.  
  
"Let me go!" she screamed, banging her fists on him. Mokuba looked at them, frightened as he witnessed one of his friends beating up his brother.  
  
"I can't!" he yelled back," The police already know! You can't run anymore, Celeste! I didn't want you to get hurt anymore!"  
  
"Traitor! How could you!?!" she continued," You promised me! YOU PROMISED!" Celeste couldn't believe what Seto had done. As bad as what her father had done, she didn't want to be alone. It might be hard to explain, but she felt like she needed to defend her dad. She began to hit harder. "Why Seto!?!?! How could you betray me?!?" Angry tears ran down her cheeks.  
  
Seto tried the best he could to defend him and still be able to hold her down. Then, he felt Celeste being pulled from him. Mr. Tasashi help Seto up. The two police officers were struggling to hold onto the girl, she was still trying to get to Seto. He watched as one of the police officers finally put the girl over his shoulder. Seto caught a glimpse at Celeste before they walked out of the door.  
  
Her eyes reflected the feelings of betrayal, hate, and anger. "Seto?" said Mr. Tasashi quizzidly. Seto pulled out of his father's arms and went to see Celeste being carried out to the car. She was still struggling. A fighter till the end. "I HATE YOU, SETO!" she screamed as the car door opened. "I HATE YOU!"  
  
The words were hurtful. Seto felt a stabbing pain in his chest as the words 'I hate you!' rang in his ears. The car pulled away from the house and away from the street. Celeste glared angrily out the window. For a moment, their eyes met. As the car disappeared, Celeste did to.  
  
It was at that moment, Seto began to felt the rain drops on his face. It was still raining.  
  
NOT THE END 


	6. Waiting

[[[[[[[[[Well..this is it. The final chapter of empty spaces. ENJOY!.P.S I know this sounds like they have deeper feelings for each other but it is still purely friendship.]]]]]  
  
'Meet me at the bridge at 6 by yourself.'  
  
It was all the note had said. No signature. No envelope. No stamp. Just a simple folded piece of paper in the mailbox. But he knew whom it was from. It could only be one person.  
  
Seto had sneaked out of his house to come out at night. He didn't care if his father was going to find out or not. He just wanted to know why she would want to see him. The sun had just begun to set but already the stars appeared in the darkened areas. Seto shivered. Partly from the night air. Partly from anticipation.  
  
"6:05," he read form his wristwatch. "Where is she?"  
  
His answer came with the gently padding of running sneakers. Turning around, he saw the girl that he hadn't seen in over 2 weeks. The person he hadn't expected to see ever again.  
  
She stopped just a few feet away from him. "Hi Seto," she said, barely above a whisper. Seto nodded. "What do you want to talk about? Do you still hate me?"  
  
"Yeah." she said, giving a weak smile. "I still hate your guts."  
  
Seto didn't know what to say at the response. Instead, he gave an awkward smile back. They stood silently afterwards, acting like it was the first time they had truly recognized their friendship.  
  
"Why didn't you come to school?" Seto said, breaking the trance. You missed two weeks and-"  
  
"I'm not coming back," interrupted Celeste. "I have to..to live with my grandparents. My dad's in jail for the next few years so he can't take care of me." she started, chocking back tears," Its funny isn't it? I didn't know I had any relatives now I have to live with them." She wiped the tears with the back of her hands.  
  
Seto stood stunned. Was this what Celeste wanted to tell him? "W-where are you moving to?" he stammered.  
  
"I don't know. The only thing that lady told me was it was really far away..." her voice drifted off. "I don't know if I'll ever see you again," she added, her voice inaudible.  
  
Seto felt a lump creeping up his throat. The pain was too much for him to handle. He had to bite his tongue to stop his mouth from trembling. He looked straight at Celeste who waited for a reply. "I'll miss you, Celeste."  
  
Before he knew what was happening, two arms wrapped themselves around his neck. Celeste hid her face in his chest." I'll miss you, too. " She whispered in his ear. Seto blushed furiously but, luckily, the darkness of the night shadowed it. Not knowing what else to do, he pulled Celeste away from him. "Don't worry about it Celeste." he said, his eyes softening and a gentle smile on his lips. "We can always write letters. Do you know my address?"  
  
Celeste looked up at him, shaking her head. "Seto... I don't think that'll work. I'm afraid we'll forget about each other or-"  
  
"That'll never happen." said Seto firmly. "We'll always be friends and I will never forget about you. Never."  
  
She looked at his crimson blue eyes, ablaze with determination. Celeste moved away form the hands and quickly wiped her remaining tears. "I have something for you," she said digging into her jean pocket. She pulled out something wrapped in a silver foil. Handing it to him, he read the words 'Duel Monsters'.  
  
"What is it?"  
  
"Its some kind of new game, " said Celeste, shrugging. "I know you love playing games. I just thought you'll like to learn a new one since you a master in all the other games. I even bought a pack for me." She took out another one. "Do you want to open it together?"  
  
"Sure!" said Seto. They sat on the edge of the bridge, swinging their legs over the sides. [I know this is a safety hazard, but its a very small bridge..just go along with it]  
  
"Now." commanded Seto and they each opened the sealed wrapper.  
  
They looked through their cards. Seto was amazed at the pictures of the monsters. Some were pictures of beasts, items, and symbols. "Look what I got!" said Celeste excitedly. He looked at the card in her hand. The picture was of an arrow. "Living Arrow," read Seto, "How come it doesn't have the numbers at the bottom?"  
  
Celeste read the piece of paper that came with the cards. "I think it's a magic card. It says the ones with the number at the bottom are the monster cards. We're supposed to use them together or something." She shrugged. "All I know is that it has a weapon on it so I know it has to be useful in some way."  
  
Seto looked through his cards. He smirked when he came across one that looked powerful. "Guess what I have?" he asked, smugly, "A Blue Eyes White Dragon!" He showed her a card with a fierce silver-tinted dragon.  
  
"Do you even know what that monster is?" said Celeste, laughing.  
  
He shook his head. "No, but I like the sound of it. Besides, it looks really strong."  
  
They spent ten minutes looking through each other's cards. Ten minutes passed. When they were finished, they laid flat down on the bridge, gazing at the early stars. There was a moment of silence.  
  
"Do you really think we'll see each other again?" asked Celeste, turning to Seto. "I mean...what if I go far away and-?"  
  
"Celeste, you worry way to much," Seto said calmly," I promise we will meet again." Seto returned the soft gaze of his companion. "We'll always be there for each other, no matter what the distance."  
  
She smiled. "You better write back, Seto. Don't you dare break this promise to me." she warned." Okay?"  
  
Seto nodded and watched as Celeste stood up and tucked the cards in her pockets. He followed. They said their goodbyes to each other and went their separate ways.  
  
*  
  
Seto opened the doors to see his little brother running towards him. "Did anything happen at school today, Seto?" Mokuba said excitedly.  
  
"Nope. Normal as usual." answered Seto. "How about you?" Mokuba had started kindergarten that year. Since their school ended earlier, Seto came home later then Mokuba. "I learned most of the alphabet already! And the circle!"  
  
Seto gave an approving smile. "Good job. Was there any mail today?" It had been only a week since Celeste had left but Seto felt like it had been months. Mokuba nodded and pointed to the counter in the kitchen. Seto threw his book bag on the couch and went to see if any were from Celeste.  
  
Mokuba followed him. "Seto? Can you help me with my homework?" he asked shyly. "Please." "Sure Mokuba." Seto mumbled, shifting through all the junk mail. His heart jumped when he saw a letter addressed to him. He recognized Celeste's messy handwriting.  
  
Mokuba tugged on his shirt. "Seto? Can you help me now?"  
  
He still kept his eyes on the envelope. "Umm. Mokuba? Can I help you later? I need to do something first."  
  
Mokuba started to whine."Seto-o-o-o. Please? It'll only be a little while." Seto really wanted to read Celeste's letter but he didn't want to let Mokuba down. He shoved the letter into his pocket and followed his brother.  
  
Impatiently, Seto helped his brother in writing his name in print and tracing the designated letters. It took a while since Mokuba's hand was not yet used to a pencil. As soon as they were finished, Seto looked for something Mokuba could do while he's reading Celeste's letter.  
  
He went into the kitchen and looked inside the junk drawer. A square chunk of plastic caught his eyes. It was the game Celeste had given to Mokuba a couple of years ago. He couldn't believe they still had it. Wiping off the dust from the screen, he turned it on. The screen glowed as though it was never used before.  
  
When Mokuba saw it, he anxiously grabbed the toy and immediately became absorbed in the game. Seto sat on the bed beside him and took out the letter. As placed his hand over the sealed flap, about to tear it apart, the doorbell rang. "What is it now?!" thought Seto, angrily.  
  
Leaving Mokuba and the letter on the floor, he ran to the door and opened it. A pretty woman and a buff-looking man stood on the porch. The woman had a sympathetic look on her. "Are you Seto?" she asked kindly.  
  
Seto nodded. "Where is your brother?" she continued.  
  
"He's in my room. Who are you?" he asked curiously.  
  
The woman sighed and shook her head. "I don't know how to tell you this," she said, shaking her head," but your father has been in an accident."  
  
*  
  
The two people waited for Seto to pack Mokuba's and Seto's stuff in their suitcases. Mokuba didn't understand that their father had died and Seto tried hard to show no tears to upset his brother. "Its just a trip Mokuba." Seto lied," Like a vacation."  
  
In the car ride, Seto sat next to his little brother in the backseat. Looking out the window, he dug into his pockets and felt something . Taking it out, Seto realized it was the cards Celeste had given to him. Oh no. He forgot about Celeste's letter! It was still on the floor of the bedroom!  
  
"Stop!" Seto screamed to the man who was driving.  
  
The woman turned around. "I'm sorry Seto. We can't."  
  
"But I forgot something-" The woman shook her head and turned back to face the front.  
  
Mokuba looked at him curiously. "Don't worry Seto. We're only going on a vacation."  
  
Seto slumped back into his seat. He couldn't remember the address from where it came from. He couldn't write back to Celeste. He had broken another promise to her. "Why can't I ever keep any of my promises?" he thought, kicking the front seat in frustration.  
  
He looked over at Mokuba who was peering out the window. "Mokuba?"  
  
"Yes, big brother?"  
  
"I'll always be there for you. I promise." whispered Seto.  
  
Mokuba grinned and nodded. "I know." And turned back to the window. Seto slowly faced his side. "I'm not going to break that promise. I refuse to break another promise."  
  
*  
  
Celeste never received a reply. Though she kept peering eagerly in her grandparent's mailbox and sending dozens of letter, she never received a reply from her friend. After a year, she stopped and came to the conclusion that he had forgotten her. She never realized that Seto was at an orphanage and was unable to reach her. Slowly, she was able to push the memory to the back of her mind.  
  
THE END  
  
[ YEAH! finally finished. so happy. *does the I-just-competed-my-story-and- now-I'm-so-happy dance. Well I hope people will review on this. Sorry for the sad ending but I'm PLANNING on making a sequel. (see my profile for the summary) I'm sooo evil =). Unlike most people, I love a sad endings.....much more memorable don't ya think?  
  
Okay..let me get my thoughts together...High Priest Seto was about Seto and Celeste in ancient Egypt-----This story is about Seto and Celeste in modern times but in their childhood---They both ended in each other 'not being together'. Since the next story will be most likely be placed in Seto's teenage years, (I don't want to do a futuristic one where everything's metallic and there's flying cars everywhere) it will most likely be their last chance to be together.  
  
Will I let it be? Or will my love of sad endings be too much for me to defeat? *evil laughter* Review and if you want a sad ending (you know you like 'em) or a mushy sappy happy ending. It MIGHT help me decide ;)] 


End file.
